| HMP Wakefield | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1594 |
| Management | HM Prison Service |
| Prison type | Adult Male/Category A |
| Prisoner figures | 751 (November 2007) |
| Location | Wakefield, West Yorkshire |
| Governor | Susan Howard |
| Information | www.justice.gov.uk |
HM Prison Wakefield is a Category A men's prison, located in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is the largest maximum security prison in the United Kingdom (and western Europe). The prison has been nicknamed the "Monster Mansion" due to the large number of high-profile, high-risk sex offenders incarcerated there.[1][2]
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Wakefield Prison was originally built as a house of correction in 1594. Most of the current prison buildings date from the Victorian times. The current prison was designated a ‘dispersal' prison in 1966 (the longest of the remaining original group).
The Prison yard at Wakefield has a Mulberry tree around which female inmates used to exercise. This has been linked to the nursery rhyme 'Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush' by the erstwhile prison governor, RS Duncan in his book 'Here we go round the mulberry bush' The House of Correction 1595 / HM Prison Wakefield 1995 (published by author 1994). This origin of the song is also propounded on the prison's website.
In 2001, it was announced that a new Supermax security unit was to be built at Wakefield Prison. The unit was to be built to house the most dangerous inmates within the British prisons system, and was the first such unit of its kind to be built in the United Kingdom.[3]
In March 2004, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons criticised staff at Wakefield prison for being disrespectful to inmates. The report claimed that the prison was "over-controlled", and a third of the prisons inmates claimed to have been victimised.[4]
Wakefield Prison holds approximately 600 of Britain's most dangerous men (mainly sex offenders and prisoners serving life sentences for violent crimes against women and children). Accommodation at the prison comprises single occupancy cells with integral sanitation. All residential units have kitchens available for offenders to prepare their own meals. An Incentives and Earned Privileges system allows standard and enhanced offenders the opportunity of in-cell TV. All offenders are subject to mandatory drugs testing and there are voluntary testing arrangements, which are compulsory for all offenders employed as e.g. wing cleaners or kitchen workers.
HMP Wakefield offers a range of activities for inmates, including charity work, an accredited course in industrial cleaning, and a Braille shop where offenders convert books to Braille. The Education Department is operated by The Manchester College, and offers learning opportunities ranging from basic skills to Open University courses. Other facilities include a prison shop, gym, and multi-faith chaplaincy.
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